What's new

Projectors: Turn it off or leave it on? (1 Viewer)

Evan M.

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 26, 2002
Messages
910
Ahhhhhh, That makes sence. For a second I thought youe were buying a new bulb every 600 hours LOL!!

If you don't mind me asking one more question.....what do you mean by...

 

Leo Kerr

Screenwriter
Joined
May 10, 1999
Messages
1,698
I'd guess it was to make sure that the lamp was good before the 90-day period expired.

Actually, that's an interesting question: how common are premature lamp failures out there in the real world? By premature, I'm suggesting less than 50% of the 'rated life' before it fails or becomes unacceptably dark.

At work, I've had maybe three lamps die early, out of, sheeesh, 60? which, hm, 5% premature failure rate doesn't sound so good, does it, now?

Leo
 

Ralph P.

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 8, 2002
Messages
84
Greetings,





Evan, Leo is right. The lamps for my projector come with a 90 day warranty. I install the new one and keep that as the primary to ensure there are no problems with it.
 

Evan M.

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 26, 2002
Messages
910


Gotcha.......Thanks for the explanation. That actually sounds like a good idea. If I get the money kicking around sometime soon maybe I'll do the same thing.
 

DaveGTP

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
2,096
There was a guy recently on AVSforum that posted that the bulb on his X1 (or was it a 4805) ran for 7500 or 8500 hrs before it died. He was running it 8-10 hours a day, every day. I can't find the thread now, though.
Anecdotal evidence there, but it suggests that leaving it running for long periods is much better than turning it on/off.

I leave my X1 on if I'm coming back to it within an hour or so. Otherwise I unplug it. Infocus rep on avsforum confirmed that turning the power hard off is better than fan-cooling it and then powering it off. And it makes sense - less quick thermal expansion/contraction with a slow cool down than with a fast one.
 

Leo Kerr

Screenwriter
Joined
May 10, 1999
Messages
1,698


Don't forget, however, that there are other parts of the projector: imaging panels (DLP or LCD) do not like being warm, and the fan does help them, too.

Anecdotally, yes, some lamps can run much longer than the officially rated life. In an early LCD projector (anyone remember Ampro? It was an LCD-150, I believe,) I got 5000 hours out of a 2000 hour lamp. Actually, just thinking on it, I never had any trouble with the Ampro's panels degrading, either. Just one other unmentionable company..

Leo Kerr
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top